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“Mark Brown talks to Geoff Smith, whose reinvention of the piano allows players to alter the tuning of notes either before or during a performance Link to this video

For a non-pianist, the idea of a microtonally fluid piano might seem either no big deal or baffling. But this weekend a composer will reveal the result of a 10-year mission – nothing less than the reinvention of one of the most important instruments in western music.

“The building of keyboard instruments began over 300 years ago. The development started with the organ and the Harpsichord, continued through the pianoforte, and reached its high point with what today is known as the modern grand piano - which remains until now virtually unchanged. (The Golden Years of grand piano construction were between 1825 and 1925).

“We're happy to announce the release of our 6th CD, Au Pres de Vous. Recorded in the warm and vibrant acoustic of an old country church, our latest release explores the important marriage of music, poetry and dance tunes of sixteenth century France.

An article on “The Influence of Leather in the Fortepiano Evolution in the XVIII and XIX Centuries” by Gustavo Adrián DEFEO F.S.L.T.C.

The Fortepiano originI can imagine most of the presents will have many questions on my presentation: First of all
what is the relation between Leather and the Fortepiano? Why here in the Palazzo della
Signoria? Let’s look back three centuries ago in this same room, during the baroque period, the times of the Great Prince Ferdinando de Medici.

Observations on the Development of Wood Screws in North America by Christopher White, Mellon Fellow, Furniture and Frame Conservation Lab, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Currently: Project Conservator Arizona State Museum

“The following is the result of research conducted between September 2004 and August 2005 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Physical characteristics of a series of wood screws from the museum’s collection of 18th and 19th-century American furniture are summarized and their characteristics related to curatorial-assigned dates of fabrication and to a chronology of screw manufacturing techniques.

The American Musical Instrument Society Announces a New Publication: “The New-York Book of Prices for Manufacturing Piano-fortes by The Society of Journeymen Piano-forte Makers” with foreword by Henry Z. Steinway and Introduction by Laurence Libin.

“Through the generosity of Jack Schuman of Phoenix, Oregon and Dorinda Schuman of Sun City West, Arizona, residents of southern Oregon, visitors to the region and students and faculty at SOU will soon have access to the Schuman Collection of Musical Instruments, one of the world's largest and most unique private collections of musical instruments, which will be housed in the Music Building on the SOU campus.

“Saturday November 28th sees us into our 15th season of singing with a concert dedicated strictly to Marian music and focused on the Annunciation. This is a true Advent program, with only a whiff of Christmas on the eve of the first Sunday of Advent.

“Carles Riera Pujal has died at age 53 on November, 4 in Barcelona. He tried to enjoy life until his last breath. His family appreciates the messages of condolence, affection and mourn they have received from people who had known and loved Carles.

“To tune a lute or viol really well one must see to the exact spacing of the frets tied round the neck of the instrument. In this authoritative work Mark Lindley surveys different approaches to the problem as described from the 1520s to the 1740s by a variety of writers.

For several years Leopoldo Perez has administered a series of harpsichordconcerts and classes ­ sometimes more than a dozen in a season ­ and thoseconcerts have developed an audience, and given harpsichordists from at least four continents a platform in Argentina. Last year a group began conversations about furthering the influence of the harpsichord and itsmusic and that has resulted in a month-long series of concertsbeginning Friday, Nov. 13/2009.

La Simphonie du Marais Hugo Reyne informs us of their latest CD release: “Viennoiseries musicales”. Out of the usual real of the Baroque era, the “Viennoiseries musicales” reflect the ambiance of the Vienese “salons” at the beginning of the XIXth century.

When Music Professor Ruth Griffioen suggested to Evan Callaway ‘12 that he spend his scholarship money building a six-foot-tall instrument that lost popularity after the 17th Century she was joking. However, the computer science major and music minor said he "took it more as a challenge than as a joke."

Fans of early music don’t need an introduction of Claudio Monteverdi. For a long time, he was known for the first unsurpassed highlights of the early Western opera. Yet, his operas did not raise eyebrows, his madrigal bundles did. An example: in the foreword of his fifth Madrigal bundle, we read the discussion between Artusi and Monteverdi whether or not to use the new monidistic style.

Not usually, but a great fit Sunday afternoon at the Registry Theatre when Nota Bene Period Orchestra (local Baroque music ensemble under the leadership of Borys Medicky) and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (Kitchener-Waterloo chapter) teamed up to present a most unusual performance — part concert, part lecture, part visual display.

“EXHIBITION - The Greenwich Exhibition of Early Musical Instruments is the largest Early Music Exhibition of its kind! A wide cross-section of early instrument makers from around the globe, shops, music publishers, societies, recording companies and early music forums all gathered under one roof.

(The Boston Globe)
“Taking piano lessons at the Longy School in the early 1960s, Diane Goetz was certainly no stranger to the music of centuries past. Then she met Frank Hubbard, a craftsman who with his friend William Dowd was spurring a revival of the harpsichord.

The International Competition of Wassenaer is the world's leading and oldest competition for early music ensembles. The competition has succeeded for over 20 years in young, ambitious ensembles support towards the concert stage. With top musicians in the international jury at the program and the competition has become a festival, with competitions, concerts, master classes and more.

The complete results of the 15th International Competition of Wassenaer 2009:

“Real Chopin: The Complete Works of Fryderyk Chopin on historical instruments is a project realised on historical instruments from Chopin's times: pianos by Erard (Paris, 1849) and Pleyel (Paris, 1848).

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